The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
through those doors. I went to a meeting last week, actually 2 meetings. But if you want to get real technical, 3 meetings. I went on Wed, at 10am to the Beginner meeting & I stayed through the regular meeting which started at 11. I was so nervous, but I did it. And boy did I feel so much better. I felt like a weight had been lifted. And maybe now, I could start my own recovery.
And then I went to another meeting on Friday. I was torn between going for a walk or going to a meeting. The meeting won. It is a bit further from my house than I had originally thought. And I nearly turned around & went home 3 times. They were also so nice & accepting. This group was much smaller. And quite a bit less formal. They even catered the meeting to me and another newcomer, powerlessness was the topic. And again, I felt really hopeful when I left.
I plan on going again this week to both meetings. I am so glad I finally found my way to AlAnon. I've always known it was there. I just hadn't faced up to the reality that I was sinking lower & lower & it was time to reach out for help.
I have a little bit of experience with AA & AlAnon. When I was a teen, I had made some bad choices & my mom & her husband at the time thought I needed rehab. So off I went for a 30 day treatment program & nightly AA & NA meetings. I started a 12 Step program there. And I think it has stayed with me because I have kind of started working the 12 step program again. Kind of subconsciously I think.
I blog & as I was rereading some of my blogs, it occured to me that I was working through the steps, a little bit. I know for it to really work, I need to embrace it whole heartedly but I think I am on the right path anyway.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable.
This shows in the simple fact that I reached out & posted here & then went to meetings. I have admitted I am powerless & my life had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Yes, I do believe there is something greater than me. There is something that has carried me through the hardest times of my life. I accept this & am even embracing it.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
I am working on this. I am nearing that place where I am ready to "Let go & let God". Though I am not quite there yet.
Thank you for being here & letting me "talk" it out. It feels so good to see it written out in front of me.
Your Calvin and Hobbes quote on your avatar is hilarious! I laugh everytime I read it.
I just wanted to send you some congrats! on going to your first meetings and finding the relief you so deserve. I know how hard it can be to walk through those doors for the first time, but like you, I found all my nervousness was totally worth it, and in the rooms I found hope and such sweet relief. I am no longer alone and anywhere I go in the world, I can seek out Alanon. Knowing that has really helped me feel at home in the world again. Again, congrats, and welcome to YOUR recovery!
